A Different World
by almostgone71
Summary: On Total Drama Island, Gwen and Duncan never had a chance at love.But what would happen if they never went to Total Drama Island?Would they be friends,or something more? But every good thing comes with a cost,and this time, Gwen gets stuck with the check.
1. Chapter 1

A Different World

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama island or the chatacters. So don't sue!

This is just a story I thought up and decided to give it a shot. I know that Gwen's mom isn't the way I have her in this story, and I know that Gwen doesn't even have a dad around, but it's the only way it works with the story. Enjoy!

* * *

Gwen woke up on a snowy, December morning. She quickly jumped out of bed, made breakfast for her parents, and ran out the door, all before her mom and dad were even awake. That was a normal school morning for this sixteen-year-old girl, and she personally was very happy with it. She really preferred not having to see her parents, especially in the morning when they were hung-over and cranky. So every school day, Gwen would leave her house at five thirty, even if it meant standing in the cold for an hour, waiting for the bus.

When the bus finally came, she hopped on and took her usual spot in the back. She gazed out the window, as the bus went around picking up the other students. Soon the bus was full of pimply teenagers, separating into their groups. Like every high school, there were the nerds, the jocks, the cheerleaders, the punks, and many others. Gwen however, did not belong to any of these groups, or any group at all for that matter, and was perfectly fine with it. She was a loner. She filled the gaps between the groups. She got perfect grades, but simply wasn't a nerd. She was athletic, but wasn't a jock. She was very flexible, and was great at doing stunts, but she wasn't a cheerleader. She wore dark clothes and had a sour attitude, but wasn't a punk. She was a blend of every group, however not being in a group lead everyone to see her as a nobody. She was that nameless, faceless, girl you bump into in the hallway, and don't bother with an apology.

Gwen was fine with not having friends. It meant that she wouldn't have to be bothered with questions like, "Why do we never go to your house?", or, "What are your parents like?" It also meant never having to answer the famous question, "What are those bruises from?" She hated having to think of a new excuse every time, and she really hated lying. She had decided a long time ago that friends were just a made everything worse.

Gwen's day went perfectly normal. She sat in the back of the class, aced every test and assignment, and sat alone during lunch. Only today, after school, something was different. Every day after school, Gwen helped with the tutoring program set up at her school. It was designed as an optional course to help underachievers excel at the subjects they had trouble in. However, when no one showed up, it was changed into mandatory for people who were failing. Gwen had signed up as tutor because it gave her an excuse to stay at school for another forty minutes, instead of going home to her parents.

However, today, when she walked into the classroom that was put aside for her tutoring, she saw a new boy sitting there. He was wearing a pair of baggy jeans, a black tee shirt with a skull on it, and a pair of red converse. He had black hair, with a green Mohawk, and wonderful teal eyes. She was getting ahead of herself. She needed to find out who this boy was, and more importantly, where Eva was, the person she had been tutoring for the last three months.

"Where's Eva?" she asked. The boy simply shrugged his shoulders. Gwen hesitantly backed out of the room, and went into the classroom next door. "Mr. McClain?" she asked the teacher. He was wearing a pair of green pants with a button-down blue flannel shirt. His brown hair and stubble were nicely trimmed to perfection. Gwen personally thought that he cared more about his looks than he did teaching.

"There's this guy in the room that I tutor in, and Eva's not there." Gwen said.

"Oh, yes. I'm sorry, I meant to tell you. Eva and her family moved to North Dakota. And that boy in your room is your next project. He's been flunking his classes, and has been waiting for a free tutor. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, Mr. McClain." she replied trying to cover up the disappointment in her voice. Eva had been making great progress. She was almost at a B, but she knew that she still needed someone to guide her in the right direction. Without her there, she would most likely fall back into his old habits. However, Gwen couldn't move to California, so she decided there was nothing she could do. She walked back into the classroom and took the seat opposite the boy, who looked extremely bored.

"Hi." she began, "I'll be your tutor. My name's Gwen."

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So what do you think? Reviews are the only way I'll get better, so please tell me if this is absolutly terrible. Bye!


	2. Chapter 2

A Different World

Chapter 2

I tried my best to get the personalities right in this story. Sorry if they're too soft.

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"Name's Duncan, Sweetheart." he replied.

"Sweetheart? Really? That's the best you've got? Because I can tell you now, there's almost nothing that's sweet about my heart." Gwen said with a sarcastic smile.

"Hmm…How about Sunshine?" he said with a cocky grin.

"Whatever floats your boat. Now, why don't you tell me some stuff about you? Like what your hobbies are and what your friends and family are like."

"Um," he paused in deep thought, "I guess my hobby would be skateboarding. And my friends would be Ronnie, Sid, and Johnny.

"Great. A punk." Gwen sarcastically said to herself.

"There was this one time when the three of us got together and completely trashed this one rich person's yard. Once we were done with it, a skull was burned into the grass, their white picket fence was destroyed, and-

"What about your family?" Gwen said, cutting him off.

"Well they're all cops, Sunshine. You can understand why we don't get along."

"Yeah, I guess." An awkward silence passed between the two.

"Well, how about you tell me about the subject you need the most work on?" Gwen asked, trying to get a conversation going.

"Erm…I guess it would be science, math, and history. My reading skills are really bad too, Sweetheart," he answered.

"So, basically everything?" she said with an exasperated sigh. "Okay, well, it's great that you can accept that you need help in those subjects. Now I want you to think about why you don't do well. And I don't want that stupid answer of 'I don't care.' I want you to really think about it. I've got a lot of time," she told him. This was the procedure she had to go through, every time she met her next "project" as Mr. McClain liked to say.

Duncan thought hard. He thought about how his parents would scold him repeatedly when he didn't do well. He thought about how he had decided to purposely flunk school in third grade, just to annoy them. And while he was searching for his answer, he couldn't help a new thought from entering his mind. 'This girl is really pretty.'

What was he thinking! He was dating Courtney, the head cheerleader! He wasn't allowed to have thought like that towards other girls! However, he could not ignore her beauty. Her gentle locks of black hair with midnight blue streaks. Her beautiful almond eyes. Her small, delicate, petite body, just waiting for someone to hold it. She truly was beautiful. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, and realized that Gwen was waiting for an answer.

"Um…I just kind of gave up on it. My parents were always yelling at me to do better, so when I was young, I started to fail on purpose just to annoy them. And when I grew up I had sort of forgotten how to do well." Gwen looked at him and smiled gently.

"Well it's my job to help you remember how to succeed. Just remember that you have a future to look forward to." 'Unlike me' she added sadly in her head.

Duncan never really thought about his future. He was more of a live in the moment kind of person. Now that he thought about it, he did have to prepare for the unpredictable future ahead of him.

"Yeah, you're right. I do have a future," he said. Gwen noticed that he had said it as if it surprised him. She looked at him gently and stared into his beautiful teal eyes.

"Let's get started. With the time we have left, let's try to read as much as we can of your Science textbook." They read until the after school bell rang, and Gwen said, "Alright, your homework is-

"Wait a minute; Mr. McClain never said anything about me getting homework, Sunshine."

"Hey, I hate it too. But your homework is fairly simple. In a week, just try to read your science book up to where you are now in class. Kay?"

"Sure, Sunshine." Then they both exited the classroom, and began their way home.

* * *

Don't worry. Their friendship will grow. Alright, I need your guy's help. I originally thought this story up as a book. My own characters and such. Then I decided it should be a DuncanxGwen story. However, when I originally thought it up, it had a really sad ending. I could easily make it a happy ending, but i'm not sure which I should do. It'd be awesome if you could review and tell me what you want. Either sad, happy, or i could even do two alternate endings. I'll try to do what the majority of people want. 'Till next time!


	3. Chapter 3

A Different World

Chapter 3

Sorry if you don't like this type of story, with gwen's parents and all (it'll be explained in this chapter) but once again, i planned out this story before I decided it should be a DuncanxGwen story. If you don't like, don't read!

This chapter basically gives a background on Gwen and Duncan's home life. Not a lot of fluff except at the end. I now command you to READ! unless you don't want to. Tee-hee!

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After her first tutoring session with Duncan, Gwen began her usual walk home. There was a bus to ride, which would get her home quicker, but the last thing Gwen wanted to do was get home early. After taking the longest possible route home, she arrived at her front porch, key in hand.

Once she let herself inside her empty house, she immediately started her homework. Not that she enjoyed it, but it's not like she had anything better to do. After she had finished, she went into the kitchen and had a snack.

She wasn't quite sure where her parents were, but then again, she hardly ever did. They were almost never home during the day, or the night for that matter, unless one of them was too hung over to go to work. It was then that they were terrible. With a pounding headache, and a "noisy" daughter, (A/N: Gwen is actually a very quite person, but her parents think differently) they usually grew violent. It was those rare occasions they were home, that made Gwen want to stay away as long as possible.

Finishing her snack, Gwen went into her room, and took out her sketchbook. She had loved to draw ever since she was a small girl when her father had given her an art kit. She smiled at the memory of herself jumping up and down while her beaming father handed her the gift. Things had been so much simpler when she was younger. Her parents were sober and charming, her arms had no bruises, and she was a part of a big, happy family.

Then her family's business had gone into bankruptcy, and she and her parents lost everything. Their house, their car, their jobs….everything. They had plunged into dept, and only managed to keep afloat by both her parents working fulltime jobs. They became very stressed out, and were never the same again.

Gwen remembered the first time her father had hit her. It had been a humid summer day, and she had been complaining about the heat. Her father had told her to shut up so he could work, and when she continued to complain, he took his anger out on her. He hit his six-year-old daughter, right in the eye, and then went back to his work. He had been drunk at the time, but he did it again several times, usually for no reason other than his own feelings of anger. Eventually, Gwen's mother started hitting her as well, and Gwen became a much-abused child.

The neighbors started to notice the growing amount of bruises on poor Gwen's face, and when one of them mentioned it to Gwen's mother, she had said that Gwen had picked up a habit of wrestling with the boys in her neighborhood, and that they were making sure she never did it again. A lie, of course, but the neighbors believed it. However, after that, Gwen's parents started beating her on her arms, a much less noticeable place, especially if she wore long-sleeved shirts. It was also then that her parents started using a belt to whip her with on the back, a very painful experience.

Though it was not terribly often, beatings really hurt Gwen. She was physically and emotionally scarred, having never experienced a normal childhood. Gwen's parents were truly cold hearted and evil, even though they had not always been. They went down a road that was better left alone and by doing so; they lost the caring, affectionate people they used to be. The worst part of it all was that they felt no regret in what they were doing, and even enjoyed their daughter's pain. They really were sick parents.

Drawing had always brought her comfort, like right now. Her most recent drawing was of lightning striking an old tree. She could see the image so clearly in her head, and she loved bringing her imagination to life. She was almost finished when a loud yell came from downstairs.

"Get down here, you worthless child!"

It was her dad, and he was angry. Whether it was work or something else, she didn't really care. All that mattered was that there was an angry, one hundred eighty pound man, looking for someone to take his anger out on.

"Just keep a cool head and you may not get hurt," she reminded herself as she slowly descended the stairs. However, Gwen did get hurt that night, but nothing more than usual. Once she was on the floor in pain, her father went out the door, and Gwen heard his car pull out of the driveway. "Probably to a bar" she thought to herself.

Gwen laid there, the pain in her arms and back next to unbearable. She thought about the oh-so-cherished past. The time of happiness and love, before the beatings. After a while, Gwen sat up, climbed the stairs, and fell asleep on her lumpy mattress.

On the other side of town, Duncan's life was very different. After the tutoring session, Duncan skateboarded home. Once he arrived, he pressed the intercom button that was near the gate.

"Leroy's residence, how may I help you?" it replied.

"Hey Dean, it's Duncan. Open the gates, will you?"

"Right away, Master Duncan" Dean replied. The gates swung open, revealing the mansion behind it. Duncan skated his way up the long driveway, and opened the large front door.

"Hello dear, how was your day?" his mother asked with a fake smile.

"Fine" he replied, not bothering giving her eye contact. He knew it was just a show, that she honestly did not care how his day was. His parents had given up on him a long time ago.

With that, he went up the grand staircase and into his room. About a minute later, metal music was pouring out of his room, filling the whole house with music. His mother simply rolled her eyes and went back to cooking.

He filled his free time with random things, like playing his guitar, chatting with Ronnie, and surfing the web. The one thing that he really wanted to do was call Gwen. However, he knew that calling a girl he had only known for a couple of hours would kind of make him a stalker, so he chose not to, even though he really wanted to.

Something about her drove him crazy and he didn't know what. She was so different, so unique, that made her stand out from any other girl he had ever known. He had no idea why, but she was really, really important to him. After all, she was his Sunshine.

* * *

Ta-da! Hope you liked. I have plans for a better life for Gwen (with a little help from a green-haired punk! hint-hint), so don't worry. I promise that the next chapter will be more exciting and have lots of fluff! :D I decided on a happy ending for this story, cuz the original sad ending is so un-Gwenish (is that a word, cuz it should be!)

Just so you guys know, I don't think i'll put Trent in this. He just doesn't really fit with the story. I might though, cuz i'm not really sure yet.

No flames please, but constructive criticism is always welcome! Toodles!


	4. Chapter 4

A Different World

Chapter 4

I am SO sorry that I haven't updated this story! I think the last chapter was in like what, March? Well I'll tell you what. Family problems + Relationship problems + Friend problems = one big mess that keeps me busy constantly. I really hope I can keep up with updating more frequently and I apologize ahead of time if I don't. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: If anyone _honestly_ thinks I own tdi/a/wt, then you are truly crazy. Don't you think Gwen and Duncan would be together by now if I did?

* * *

In the slummiest streets of Greenwood, Gwen Rayne suddenly awoke. Her heart was pounding and there was a single bead of sweat dripping off her face. From the looks of her blanket, she had been tossing and turning all night.

She remembered the nightmare she had, and a shudder passed through her body. In her dream, she was locked in a cell, and she was being hit repeatedly by cloaked figures. Everything was black and white, and the pain felt so real. She cried out, and she could hear footsteps running above her. She knew someone was trying to help her, but he couldn't seem to find where she was. The footsteps could be heard, growing steadily louder, when suddenly he was there, his face hidden by the crowd of her attackers. Only he had arrived too late. A fatal blow knocked the life out of her, and she had quickly awoken. The last thing she had seen in her dream was a little flash of light green.

Pushing away the dream, Gwen turned and looked at the clock next to her bed. It read 3:57, and Gwen moaned. She knew she would not be able to fall asleep again, so she got out her most recent sketch and continued her drawing.

That day at school, Gwen walked out of her classroom, keeping her head down, trying not to be seen. It wasn't that hard, seeing she was basically invisible. She passed the groups of people talking until something stopped her. She had heard her name in a conversation between two cheerleaders.

"Hey Courtney! You know that weird girl, Gwen?" said Gwen's sworn enemy, Heather.

"I think so, why?" the perky Courtney replied.

"Well, isn't she such a freak!

"Yeah, she is."

"Well guess what I heard! She's never actually been on a date!"

"That is so lame. But think about it! I don't think she has any friends either!"

Gwen had heard enough. People like that made her hate this school.

After school, Gwen arrived at her tutoring classroom before Duncan. She took a seat at the table and began to pull out books. Duncan then arrived and wanted it noticed.

He nearly yelled, "Attention ladies, the world's best stud has arrived!"

Gwen looked at Duncan and couldn't help but smile and laugh. Duncan then walked over and leaned on the table.

"So the word on the street is that you've never been on a date, Sunshine." Duncan said with a flirtatious smile.

"Wow, word works fast in this school." Gwen said, mildly impressed. She knew that gossip spread like wildfire, but she didn't expect it would only take a day to get from the cheerleaders to the punks. The punks in her school barely listened to gossip anyway.

"Well, it helps seeing that the person who's spreading the story is my girlfriend…" the flirtatious smile still going strong.

Gwen could almost feel her eyes bugging out. "What!"

"Let me try again. Courtney. Is. My. Girlfriend." Duncan said pausing in between each word, wearing a cocky grin.

"Very funny, smartass. It's just that you two would make the weirdest couple ever!"

"Please, you're just jealous."

"Am not!" she said, playfully hitting his arm.

"Sure you're not" Duncan replied coolly, dripping with sarcasm. He then went and sat down at the table.

"Sorry for asking," Gwen said, "But how did you and Courtney get together? All the cheerleaders I know date jocks."

"It just sort of happened. She had walked in on me raiding the principal's office. She started yelling at me and the noise she made gave away our position. We were both put in detention."

"That sucks and all, but I'm still not getting the entire couple thing."

"I'm getting there. While we were in detention, she would not shut up. She kept blabbing about how this was going to ruin her reputation. Since she was at least hot, I flirted with her a bit. One thing led to the next, and before I knew it we were dating."

"I just have one question… Why!"

"I know, I know. She's been really annoying lately. But she wasn't that way before she started hanging out with Heather."

"Well, if anyone can turn someone evil it's Heather."

"You know her?"

"Yeah, we used to live on the same street when we were younger. She was evil back then too. But then she moved to the richer side of town, and I moved to the poor…uh…I moved."

Duncan didn't really hear Gwen's slip because he was thinking about Heather. He knew where Heather must have moved to when she was younger because, unfortunately, she now lived down the street from him. It made keeping the secret that he was actually a multi-millionaire a lot harder. If Heather found out he lived there, the entire school would know in a day. He really preferred to keep his extra cash a secret. His closest friends didn't even know. Not even Courtney. He liked his reputation the way it was: a tough kid from the street.

Gwen, nervously wondering how obvious her choke was, decided to change the conversation. "Did you know Escape the Fate is coming to this area next month?"

"Hell yeah. Already got tickits to their concert. Are you going?"

"I wish. I didn't get tickits."

The talk flowed easily for a while until Gwen looked at the clock.

"Shit! We spent half an hour talking!"

"What's wrong with that?"

"I'm supposed to be tutoring you."

"Alright, Sunshine. May the tutoring begin."

The next few weeks went well for Gwen, even though she kept having that nightmare every night. Duncan was slowly making progress in school and he was turning into her first friend. In truth, Duncan still really hated school, but he could tell it made Gwen happy, so he started actually trying in some classes. He saw Gwen from afar in the hallways a few times, and he saw how sad she seemed to look. Like sadness was somehow mixed in her soul permanently. However, when he got her to smile she shined brighter than the sun. He had to give himself a mental applause on how good of a nickname he picked. He then had to mentally hit himself for being one of those creeps who mentally applaud themselves.

* * *

And that's the chapter! I know this was pretty short, but I promise the next one will be longer! Sorry if the characters are too OOC.


	5. Chapter 5

A Different World

Chapter 5

Well... Here's chapter 5

* * *

Duncan walked into the empty classroom that he surprisingly loved, only because he got to spend forty minutes there every day with his Sunshine. Lately they spent most their time talking, getting very little schoolwork done. He sat down at the table and waited for Gwen to arrive.

Gwen walked in about a minute later, and greeted Duncan with a, "Hey."

"Hey Sunshine, what's new?" Duncan said. He frowned when he saw that she was limping slightly.

"Not much, you?"

"No, not really. Well, Geoff invited me to a party, and I was told to bring someone."

"You bringing Courtney?"

"He told me we'd be watching a horror movie, so bringing Courtney is out of the question."

Gwen smiled and said, "I still don't get how you and Courtney work as a couple. I know people say opposites attract, but you two have absolutely nothing in common."

Duncan sighed and said, "Yeah, I know."

They smiled at each other, and Duncan said, "I was actually wondering if you wanted to come to the party with me."

"I don't know." She wasn't really a party person.

"C'mon, please? They're showing Nightmare on Elm Street!"

"I wouldn't really know anyone there though."

"I'll introduce you! It could be fun."

"Um, fine."

Duncan then told her where and when the party was, which Gwen wrote down.

Saturday came incredibly slowly for Gwen, eager for her first party. She had spent the days picking out what to wear, and choosing what makeup to use.

So when Saturday finally came along, Gwen basically leaped out of bed. Ignoring the nightmare once again, she listened quietly for a seconds to see if her parents were home (they weren't). Gwen then went downstairs, and turned on the radio. After switching through stations, she found Disconnected by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. She turned it up at full volume, and went upstairs to continue sketching, which was basically her only hobby.

When the time came, Gwen got into the shower. Afterwards, she went to her room and put on her clothes: a black tank, midnight blue hoodie, and skinny jeans, all some of her best clothes. Gwen got all her clothes from retail shops, so it was incredibly rare that her clothes were in good condition. Gwen then went back to the bathroom, and put on her makeup: mascara, blue lipstick, and a whole lot of eyeliner. Gwen got the mascara and eyeliner from her mother, and she had bought the blue lipstick after saving up from babysitting.

Gwen put on her worn-out black converse, and headed towards the door. Before leaving, she stopped before their hall mirror. Gwen couldn't help but smile when she saw herself. "I actually look pretty good…" She then left her house, and began the long walk over to the party.

An hour later, Gwen arrived at Geoff Amatore's house. It was a two-story brick house, lights shining out of every window. Though she had never met him, Gwen already something about him. Everyone that had ever known Geoff said that he threw the best parties. Ever.

Gwen walked up to the door and hesitantly knocked. A few seconds later, a muscular blonde opened the door. He was wearing a cowboy hat, along with an open pink button-down, and blue shorts.

"Hey, welcome to the party!" He then paused and looked at Gwen. "Do I know you?"

Gwen was so nervous, she was about to apologize, say that she was lost, and walk home. Luckily, Gwen's favorite punk then walked up behind Geoff.

"Gwen! For a while I thought you weren't coming!"

Gwen grinned, and Geoff spoke up again. "So you're Gwen! I've heard a lot about you! In fact, Duncan never really shuts up about you."

Gwen blushed and smiled sweetly at Duncan, since he looked incredibly embarrassed. Duncan then said, "Well come on in, I want to introduce you to some people." The three then went inside.

Duncan directed them over to where a group of punks was talking. Their conversation stopped when the three approached.

"Hey Duncan," one of them said.

"Hey guys, this is Gwen." Duncan said.

"So we finally get to meet her," another said, a smirk on his face.

"Well I'll give you this, she is pretty hot," yet another said.

"Just like you told us she was," said the one that had greeted Duncan.

Gwen blushed again, and smiled to herself.

"Well, Gwen," said Duncan, "These are the asses that I call my friends. That's Ronnie, that's Sid, and that's Johnny."

"Hi," Gwen said shyly. After figuring out that they had a lot in common, the conversation flowed easily.

After talking for a bit, Duncan said, "Well I'm going to go introduce Gwen to more people."

"Alright bye," said Johnny. As Duncan, Gwen, and Geoff left the room, Ronnie grabbed Duncan by the wrist.

In a low whisper, he said, "Are you sure you want to stay with Courtney? Cause from what I can tell about Gwen, she's a once in a lifetime kind of person. If you're not already after her, I can tell you that Sid, Johnny, or me will happily have her. Just… think about what you want, okay?"

Before Duncan could reply, Ronnie let go of his wrist and walked away. "Duncan?" Gwen asked, poking her head through the doorway.

"Coming, Sunshine," he said, and walked up to Gwen.

That night, Gwen had made a lot of new friends, courtesy of Duncan. Three of them were just like her, outcasts. Their names were Marilyn, Pixie Corpse, and Reaper. Once they had met they had almost immediately became friends. Two other people she had befriended were Leshawna, a sassy African American, and Bridgette, Geoff's surfer girlfriend. The two were very different from Gwen, yet somehow a friendship had immerged.

After Duncan walked off to answer his phone, a green-eyed stranger approached Gwen.

"Hey," he said, and leaned against the wall.

"Hey."

"Name's Trent."

"Gwen," she responded.

"Can you help me with something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"My friends over there bet me that I couldn't start up a conversation with the most beautiful girl here. Can you help me out?"

"Sure. I think the most beautiful girl in here is probably… Angelina. You can go talk to her." Gwen said, not getting what Trent was doing.

"Uh… actually I was talking about you…" Trent said, embarrassed.

"Oh. Um, well, thank you…" she said, flustered.

An awkward silence settled over the two, and Trent decided to break it.

"Do you like music?"

"Yeah, I love it."

"Really?" Cause I'm a musician!"

"That's awesome!"

And so their relationship began. That night Gwen learned that Trent was a guitarist, a perfect gentleman, and most importantly, incredibly hot. They talked for about an hour, and during which Gwen got her first experience with flirting.

When the movie was about to start, Gwen sat down at the huge couch. On her left was Trent, and sitting on the floor were her new friends, Ronnie, Sid, Johnny, Marilyn, Pixie Corpse,  
Reaper, and Leshawna. Geoff and Bridgette had disappeared into a bedroom. Gwen felt warmth settle inside her when she realized that she was actually with _friends, _hanging out, for the first time in her life. However, even surrounded by friends, she couldn't help but save a seat for Duncan.

As the movie started, Duncan walked in and sat next to Gwen.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Hi, where were you?"

"Courtney was freaking out over getting a C+ in Math. I've been on the phone with her for an hour. Not exactly how I wanted to spend my night."

"Wouldn't think so."Gwen said, and smiled. "I've got a question."

"What is it?"

"It's just that there seems to be so many different kinds of people here. I've seen cheerleaders, jocks, and even a few nerds. The whole school is pretty much here. Is Geoff friends with all of these people?"

"Not really, but that's the awesome thing about him. When he has a party, he invites everyone he knows. And that leads to some killer parties."

A loud "Shhh!" came from a girl watching the movie. Duncan replied with, "Shut up!"

However, afterwards Gwen and Duncan turned their attention to the huge flat screen, and watched the movie.

After the movie, Gwen, along with mostly everyone else, felt tired and decided to go home. As she was heading towards the door with Duncan, she heard her name yelled down the hall.

"Gwen!"

She turned around to see Trent jogging towards her.

"What's up?"

"I just wanted to ask for your phone number. Maybe we could, um, get together and do something?"

"That be great," Gwen replied and wrote her home phone number on his hand, since she didn't have a cell phone.

"Awesome," Trent said. Gwen and Duncan then walked out the door.

"What was that, Sunshine? How do you know Trent?" Duncan asked, feeling a twinge of jealousy.

"We talked during the party. He seemed nice."

"Alright. It's just that he doesn't seem your type."

"Well Courtney doesn't seem like _your _type."

"Good point. Do you need a ride?" Duncan said as he approached his motorcycle.

"No!" Gwen shouted. "Uh…I mean, I'm good, but thanks." Gwen wished she could take the ride, but that would mean showing Duncan where she lived, and under no circumstances would she show Duncan that old, musty, and dangerous place that was supposed to be her 'home'.

"Okay, see ya." Duncan said, a little confused from Gwen's yelling.

"Bye,"

As Duncan drove off, he thought, "I'm Duncan Leroy! I don't get jealous!" But when the thought of Gwen writing her number on Trent's hand, the jealousy hit him so hard it was impossible to ignore.

* * *

Ta-da! Please review! They make me write faster.


	6. Chapter 6

A Different World

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own the total drama series or its characters. (Sigh, if only I did)

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"Left foot, right foot," was all Gwen could tell herself to keep awake as she walked home on a chilly Saturday night. She had her hands buried inside her pockets, but they grew colder with every minute. Finally, she arrived at her street.

Then a thought occurred to her. "How late is it?" Her heartbeat quickened as she looked up at the moon. From its position, she could tell that it was at least past three in the morning. She felt herself shaking, but not from the cold. It was from fear.

She had never been out this late. Her parents had warned her to always be home by midnight, and Gwen was so afraid of them, she didn't dare disobey. She started running to her house, almost tripping a few times, and soon she reached her front door. Gwen caught her breath, and then she quietly opened the old, battered door, and snuck inside.

She closed it behind her and hesitantly took off her shoes, looking around for her parents.

She was about to go up the stairs when a hatred filled voice came from behind her.

"So you decided to show up."

Gwen's father was standing behind her, his wife next to him. Gwen froze and slowly turned around. Her heart was pounding through her body, and her muscles tightened.

"Uh…"

"What kept you?" Gwen's mother said in a threatening voice.

"Um... I was at a party and-"

"Sure you were," Gwen's father said, cutting her off. Gwen could tell from his voice that he was ready to attack.

"Be honest Gwen," her mother said, her face getting angrier. "You were out with some boy, right?"

"No really, I-"

She then saw her father lunge towards her. Gwen cringed, ready for the impact. However, when the blow was supposed to come…it didn't. Gwen opened her eyes.

Her father was standing right in front of her, a fist frozen in the air. Her mother had her hand on his shoulder, holding him back.

"No, Brian." her mother said. "Not tonight."

Gwen's father then backed away and faced his wife. "Why?"

"Because," she replied, "One, I'm tired. And two, she knows what will happen if she does it again. There's no need to waste a night beating the lesson into her. If she makes the mistake again, then you may do as you wish."

Gwen couldn't believe what her mother was saying. She was actually going to go without a beating tonight. Gwen could almost feel the relief flooding her body.

Gwen's father looked at his wife and then his daughter, and said bitterly, "Fine." He then went out the door.

Gwen's mother then approached Gwen. She said in a low and threatening whisper, "Look, I don't really care who you were with, but you _better_ not get too close to anyone. I don't care if it's was a friend, a boyfriend, or an adult. But if you tell _anyone _about your real life, you'll have to face the consequences. And your little friend will face them too."

Gwen's father then came back inside. "Are you coming, Brianne?"

"Yes dear," she replied. Before she followed her husband outside, she spat with all her might, directly at her daughter's face.

Gwen then let out the breath she had been holding. She slid down the wall and sat on the floor. Then she buried her head in her hands, and wiped the spit from her face. "That was so close," she thought to herself. She heard the car pull out of the driveway. Only then did she begin to cry.

It was amazing that an hour ago she had been so happy and hopeful about her new friends. Now she had to face the cold truth about her life. She simply couldn't have friends, not to avoid the all-so-famous questions about her bruises, but to keep them out of danger. She sat there and cried until she noticed the sun coming up.

She then got up and showered, letting the hot water run over her body, washing away the fear she still had coursing through her veins. As soon as she stepped foot out of the shower, the phone rang. She quickly wrapped a towel around herself and went downstairs. She had a feeling this was either a dept collector or a salesman. Not a whole lot of people actually called here.

Gwen picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"

"Hi, um, is this Gwen?"

"Yeah," Gwen said shocked. No one ever called to talk to her.

"Well, uh, hi. It's me, Trent." Gwen then remembered she had given him her number yesterday at the party.

"Hey Trent, what's up?" Gwen said excitedly.

"Uh, nothing much. I was just wondering if you wanted to go get something to eat with me. You know like at the Lucky Café or something."

Gwen took a few seconds to think over the question in her mind. She thought, "My parents had said that I couldn't have any close friends, and that no one could learn my secret. But going to get coffee doesn't make us close friends, right? I just can't let us get too close. It's simple."

"Sure Trent, that'd be great. Do you want to me meet there in about an hour?"

"Okay, awesome. See you there."

"Bye,"

A click sounded, and Gwen hung up. She went upstairs and put on a pair of old jean shorts and a black, long sleeve V-neck. She then did her makeup and headed downstairs once again. She pulled on her converse and left, walking towards the café. "Remember Gwen," she told herself, "Not too close."

She arrived at the Lucky Café exactly on time. She walked in, and looked around for Trent. He was in a booth in the back, waving at her with a smile on his face.

Gwen smiled back, and walked over to where he was. She sat on the booth opposite of him and said, "Good morning."

"Morning. How are you?"

"Fine," she lied. "How are you?"

"Great."

The conversation then began, covering topics like music, school, and other random junk. Gwen smiled and laughed at all his jokes, and actually had a good time. She ordered two scrambled eggs with toast, and Trent ordered pancakes. The food was delicious and quite affordable too.

After about an hour, while Trent was talking about his newest song, he accidently knocked over his orange juice. Gwen leaned over and helped him wipe it up, and once the table was dry, Gwen noticed that she was about an inch away from his face.

Before she knew what was happening, he had kissed her. It was her very first kiss, yet she didn't feel the wonderful joy everyone talked about.

Gwen pulled away quickly with her eyes closed and a frustrated look on her face.

"I'm sorry, Trent. But I- I just can't." Gwen then got the money she needed to pay for her eggs out of her pocket and placed it on the table, muttering, "I'm sorry." She then hurriedly walked down the aisle. Her one mistake was looking back at Trent and seeing his sad, puppy dog eyes staring at her. The guilt overwhelmed her and she said one last time, loud enough for him to hear, "I'm really, really sorry."

She walked out the door, and once out of view from the café, she ran as fast as she could, towards what was the closest thing she had to a home.

When she closed the broken down door behind her, she leaned up against it. She felt terrible for running away from Trent, since she actually rather liked him. He was smart, sweet, and artistic. Then she remembered the kiss. It had lacked that awesomeness that had supposed to come with a first kiss. Maybe there was no spark, or maybe she was just too worried about what her parents would do to him if they dated. Still, the kiss simply felt… boring.

Gwen knew she had done the right thing. She could never get too close to anyone, for it would put them at risk. It really was just better if she didn't have friends.

On the other side of town, at the Leroy mansion, Duncan went out the grand gate that surrounded his house. He was going to go meet Ronnie, Sid, and Johnny at the movies. He was just about to mount his motorcycle and drive off when a voice yelled from behind him.

"Duncan, hi!"

When Duncan turned around to see who had yelled, the only two words he could get out was, "Oh shit."

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Sorry for the cliffhanger! Any guesses to who it is?

I'll try to update soon, but i'm going to camp tomorrow and won't be back for a week. So it might take a while for the next chapter.

Review! They make me feel all fuzzy inside! (the good kind of fuzzy.)


	7. Chapter 7

A Different World

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Total Drama or its characters.

Okay, I know I haven't updated in a while, but i've been enjoying my last days of summer. So to make up for it, I wrote a longer chapter. We cool? Awesome.

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"Oh shit." Duncan turned around and saw the two people he wanted to see least right now. Heather and Lindsay were standing about a block away. Heather had her hand over Lindsay's mouth, who had just shouted hello to Duncan.

Lindsay managed to pull away from Heather and said, "What did you do that for?" with a confused look.

A very angry Heather said, "Have you forgotten what Courtney has been talking about for the last year!"

"Uh… Oh yeah! How she plans on using Duncan for his money, right?"

Duncan had heard this, even from far away. He yelled, "What!" He ran up to the two cheerleaders and said, "What did you say, Lindsay?"

"Courtney plans on using you for your money," she repeated, not understanding the seriousness of the conversation.

"Lindsay, will you shut up!" Heather shouted.

Duncan stepped forward threateningly towards Heather. He growled, "Explain, now."

Heather, scared by Duncan, said quickly, "Courtney plans on taking all your money once we're out of high school."

Duncan said, shocked, "What the hell! And how does she know I'm rich?"

Lindsay replied, "Heather saw you coming out of your house a year ago. She found out you were loaded and she told Courtney and me about it."

"Why else did you think she would go out with you? I mean, who in their right mind would?" Heather interrupted.

Duncan couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So, her walking in on me while I was destroying the principal's office, was all planned?"

"All of it," Heather replied. "Do you get it now?"

"I guess. Just one question: Why didn't she already tell me she knew I was rich?"

Lindsay said, "Well, Courtney told us that she's waiting until you inherit more money from your parents. You know, once you're eighteen. She said she doesn't want to scare you off by telling you she knows about your cash. So she decided to keep it a secret and made us swear not to tell anyone."

There was silence for a minute while Duncan processed this new information in his head. "Okay then," he said and then walked back to his bike.

"Wait, that's it? You're not mad?" Heather asked.

"Only at myself for falling for it. Oh, and one last thing," he said as he got on his bike, "Tell Courtney I'm breaking up with her."

With that, he drove off to meet his friends at the movies, leaving Heather openmouthed and Lindsay confused (as always).

The next day at school, Duncan found out that his breakup with Courtney had traveled far. Luckily, Courtney and her friends for some reason had not told everyone about him being a millionaire. Everyone that was friends with Courtney glared at him, but the majority of the school, who hated Courtney, would either say, "Finally!" or, "Sorry about the breakup." However, there was one person whose answer to the news about the breakup was rather strange.

Yesterday, when Duncan told Ronnie, Sid, and Johnny, Ronnie had replied with, "Damn it."

Duncan, very confused, said, "What?"

Ronnie explained, "I told you at the party. If you didn't make a move on Gwen, I would. Now that you're single, you have nothing to hold you back. And since she knows and likes you better, I have no chance. So I repeat, damn it."

Duncan thought about it. Gwen was fantastic. She was amazing. She never criticized or bossed him around as Courtney did. She was his sunshine. But then something had occurred to him. The picture kept repeating in his head when he was trying to sleep: Gwen writing her number on Trent's hand, both smiling at each other.

Duncan sighed. "You're right. I would probably ask Gwen out."

Sid asked, "Then what's with the sad face?"

"Because," he replied, "she most likely already has a boyfriend by now: Trent." Duncan said the last word with such a loathing that if Trent had heard it he probably would have fled the country out of fear.

Johnny said, "Tough break, dude."

Duncan shrugged and said, "I doubt they'll last."

After school on Monday, Duncan met Gwen once again for their tutoring session. Gwen was already sitting down when he walked in.

"Hey," she greeted him.

"What's up, Sunshine?" he replied, sitting down.

"Eh, not much. You?"

"Nothing really. Courtney and I broke up."

"Oh my god, really? I'm so sorry. But I have to say, it's about time."

"Yeah, she's a real bitch. How did you not know about the breakup? Everyone else seems to already know."

Gwen looked at him and said laughingly, "Are you forgetting that I'm a goth loner? I thought we went over this."

Duncan smiled and replied sarcastically, "Really? And I could've sworn you were a cheerleader."

The two shared a laugh and Gwen asked, "So why did you two breakup?"

Duncan replied with the same answer he had given to everyone. "We're polar opposites. She just got too preppy for me." No way was Duncan going to tell everyone she was using him for his money. He still preferred to keep his extra cash a secret.

"Figures. That entire 'opposites attract' is total bull. It only works out in movies."

"Agreed."

They then began their normal tutoring session, but this time Gwen said something at the end that caught Duncan off guard.

"Duncan, I don't think you need a tutor anymore."

Duncan's eyes widened and laughingly said, "Wait, what Sunshine?"

"You're at a steady B in all your classes. You don't need a tutor," she said smiling.

Duncan could not believe this. True, he had been trying harder in class lately, but that was only to make Gwen happy. He had not been paying attention to his actual grades.

"Um, okay. Awesome."

"Promise me you'll keep up the grades, okay?"

Duncan looked into her hopeful eyes and said, "Promise," knowing he could never bring himself to break it if it meant she'd stop smiling.

Gwen grinned at Duncan and picked up her backpack. He did the same and they walked out of the classroom together.

As they walked down the deserted hallway, Duncan asked, "So how did things go with Trent?"

"Fine," Gwen said, almost too quickly. She felt ashamed of her lie, but there was no way she was going to tell anyone that she had turned down one of the nicest guys in the whole school and had ran away from him like a little girl. No. That was to stay a secret.

"What do you mean by fine?" Duncan asked.

"I meant fine," Gwen said a little more fiercely. Duncan sensed the dangerous topic, and decided to steer away from it.

"Um, okay. Hey, do you want to go see Blood Bath 3 with me and few people tonight, Sunshine?"

Gwen thought over the offer in her head. She decided that going to movies with a few friends defiantly wasn't getting too close to them, what her parents had warned her against.

"Sure," she replied approaching the door. "What time?"

"Eight," he replied, holding the door open for Gwen.

"Okay, I'll see you there," she said, walking through. Duncan followed.

"Alright, bye." The two then walked opposite directions heading back to their opposite life styles.

Gwen was about to leave the parking lot when she heard a voice behind her.

"Hey Gwen!"

She turned around and saw the green-eyed boy behind her.

"Oh, hey Trent."

"Hi. Look, I want to talk."

"Um Trent, sorry but-"

He cut her off and continued. "I'm really, really sorry about what happened. It was-"

"No, Trent. Really, um…" she said, trying to get him to stop, but with no avail.

"-my fault." he said ignoring Gwen and suddenly talking fast. "I was moving way too fast. I shouldn't have tried to kiss you. If you want to have a slower relationship, I can do that. I'll change for you. I know it's crazy, because we just met, but I really care about you. I don't know but-"

"Seriously, Trent. I just can't right deal with this right now…"

"-I feel like we really have something special and-"

"Trent, are you listening to me?"

"-I don't want to let that go so if you could just give me another chance-"

"TRENT!" Gwen yelled, finally getting him to stop talking. He looked startled by the yelling.

Gwen said, "Look, I'm sorry about what I did. But you have to understand that I just can't be with you. It's more complicated that you know. Please."

Trent looked at her with his big, puppy dog eyes and finally said, "Okay…"

"Thanks," Gwen said, feeling so guilty about what she was doing. She then continued her walk home. Once Gwen turned the corner, he slapped his forehead saying, "Stupid!"

That night Gwen arrived outside the movie theater in a black V-neck and dark blue jeans. So far, her day had sucked. She no longer got to tutor Duncan, the only thing she looked forward to anymore, and on top of that, guilt was eating her up inside for what she said to Trent. All he had done was be her was nice, and how had she repaid him? By rejecting him. Twice! She felt like an awful person. However, she knew she'd feel worse if she had let that relationship grow, and end up endangering Trent.

After school she had just gone to the library, not wanting to go home and be reminded of yet another problem. Outside the movie theater, she could easily pointed out Duncan and his friends. They were the only ones dressed dark enough to blend in with the night sky.

Gwen walked up to her newly found friends, and said, "Hey."

They returned her greeting and Gwen couldn't help but smile. Duncan and his best friends were there, along with Pixie Corpse, Marilyn, and Reaper. They all paid for their tickets and went inside.

The group arrived when the previews were ending, so they quickly sat down in the back row. Once the movie started, it was so funny listening to the screams of the audience. Gwen, Duncan, and their friends were loving every minute of it.

Halfway through the movie, Gwen and Duncan reached for the popcorn at the same time, their hands intertwining by accident. Even though she knew that this was such a cliché moment, Gwen couldn't help but blush and nervously pull her hand away. Duncan did the same.

A few more minutes into the movie, Johnnie whispered to Duncan, "Hey popcorn's empty. Can you go fill it?"

Duncan looked up at the screen, and saw some chick being slaughtered. He sighed, took the popcorn bag and said, "Sure."

Once outside the theater, Duncan went to the concession stand. He bought the popcorn and was about to go back to the movie when he saw his least favorite person: Courtney.

A second after his realization, she walked towards him and said, "Oh, hey Duncan."

"Hey."

"Can we talk?"

"Uh, no."

"Oh, come on. Don't be immature."

"I'm not getting back together with you. Do you honestly think I'm that stupid?"

"_Yes_," she said, with disgust on her face. "I do. You _are_ stupid."

"Shut it Courtney, I don't need to listen to you," he said, turning around and walking back to the theatre.

"Duncan! Get back here this instant!" she yelled

"God, how did I ever go out with this woman," he thought.

"Duncan, I swear if you don't turn around right now I'll-"

Duncan then flipped her off, leaving her with a very angry expression.

Courtney then yelled, "Don't you want to know why I haven't told anyone about your cash?"

Duncan turned around and said, "Well, I'm a little curious."

"It's because, now, if you don't get back with me, I'll tell the whole school. So I'm giving you one last chance."

Duncan sighed after thought it over, and said, "Don't bother. I'll tell them myself."

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Well, that was chapter 7. Hope you liked!

If you're wondering about Trents sudden change in personality, it's because i did a reference to Total Drama. In season 1, Trent was all cool and relaxed. In season 2 however, he was really crazy and wierd. So that's why Trent is so different in this chapter.

Blood Bath 3 is, as far as I know, made up. Blood Bath 2 is apparently Gwen and Duncan's favorite movie, so this is part 3. If there is a Blood Bath 3 out there, sorry, I don't own it.

Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

A Different World

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama island or the chatacters. So don't sue!

Um... hey guys. sorry about not updating in like... six months. Whoops.

In my defence, i lost all inspiration for this story. but then i got it back! Yay!

Once, again, i apologize. =P

So like I said, I took a _slight _(god i wish there was a "sarcasm font." guess i'll have to deal with italics.) break from this story. So there might be some inconsistencies.

So hear you go, the very belated... Chapter 8!

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"Well this is just fantastic," the punk thought to himself sarcastically. He walked back to the theater, wondering how the hell he would tell everyone he was a millionaire. Slipping into his seat next to Gwen, he decided that a little blood and gore could never hurt. He watched the rest of the movie, thankful he did, since it was one of the best horror movies he'd ever seen. As the credits played, Duncan and his friends left and were soon standing outside the theater talking about their favorite kills.

Duncan thought, "Now or never… or more of, now or let Courtney tell the world."

The green haired teen cleared his throat and began, "Hey guys I need to tell you something." The conversation of his friends stopped and they looked at him.

"What is it?" asked Johnny.

"I um… I…I'm rich. Really rich." Duncan then became annoyed with himself over how shyly he was telling his friends this. "Like millionaire kind of rich," he said much more directly.

He watched him friends' faces change from confusion, to shock, to amusement.

"Good joke dude. Very funny," Sid said, as the group began to laugh, all except Gwen. She had this feeling inside her chest that somehow knew he wasn't joking.

She asked, "Really?"

"Yes," he sighed. "Really." The laughter than stopped as the punks and goths processed this new information. The silence continued for what felt like hours, and Duncan could feel all their eyes glued to him.

"Um… Wow. Didn't see that coming," said Reaper.

They all stared in shock, and the silence seemed to get louder. Ronnie finally broke the ice with, "Lucky."

Everyone laughed, smiled, and looked at Duncan, a bit more curious now than confused.

"So why was it a secret?" asked Pixie Corpse.

"Um… I don't really know. No one ever really asked."

"Then why tell us now?" questioned Marilyn.

"It's a long story," Duncan said, smiling.

"We've got time," replied Gwen, smiling encouragingly. Duncan then told his friends about the complicated drama his life had become.

"That little bitch!" exclaimed Pixie. Marilyn looked at her and said, "Agreed."

Gwen couldn't believe what she was hearing. Duncan. A millionaire! Simply unbelievable. To think that her family struggled so much with getting food on the table and barely being able to pay the bills, Duncan was off living the life of luxury. But surprisingly, she wasn't jealous of him. Why? She had no idea. She may have just accepted her life as it is, or maybe she was just happy for Duncan.

"So um… could you guys spread that around? I don't want to leave Courtney the honor of it," Duncan replied with a smirk.

The dark clothed teenagers weren't sure how to answer that. They never really got into gossip, so they almost had no idea how to start it.

"Um… who do you expect us to tell?" asked Reaper. "We're not exactly the center of attention at school."

"I have an idea! We can just tell Geoff. The whole town will know in a day," suggested Sid. Everyone agreed to his idea, and then decided they should be getting home. Marilyn and Pixie got a ride with Reaper, while Johnny and Sid hopped onto their motorcycles.

Before Ronnie got into his beaten up black convertible, he said to Duncan, "Don't think that we'll be letting you off that easily. You have enough money to pay for all of our tickets we'll _ever _need for horror films." The friends all laughed, each of them driving off, leaving Duncan and Gwen standing alone.

"That was easy," Duncan thought.

"I still can't believe you're a millionaire. It just seems so… not you," said Gwen.

"Well, wait would you say is 'me'?" asked Duncan flirtatiously, as he raised one eyebrow.

"Hmm… good question. I'd say… a cocky, arrogant bastard," she said jokingly.

"Ouch. That's all?" he said, smirking.

"No, you're also a hot, sexy, stud like, badass," this time Gwen using the flirtatious tone.

"Much better." The two then stared at each other smiling.

"Well I should be getting home," said Gwen.

"Sure ,Sunshine. I'll drive you."

"Um… no thanks. I'll walk."

"Oh come on. It's cold, it's dark, and I've got an awesome motorcycle. Let me drive you."

"No really. I enjoy the walk. And since you're rich, you can just buy me a car and all our problems will be solved," she said jokingly.

"Fine," he said. However, he couldn't help but worry. There were a lot of creepy people that come out at night in this town. "As long as you call me when you get home."

"Alright, _Dad_. I'll call you. Kay?"

"Good. See you tomorrow."

"See ya."

Duncan then got onto his motorcycle and sped away. He arrived at his house… er, mansion, and went inside the huge oak doors. A few minutes later, he was in his room, listening to Escape the Fate. His phone started ringing, and when he looked at it, he saw Gwen's number come up.

He flipped open his phone and said, "Hey Gwen."

"Hey Duncan. Just calling you to let you know I'm home."

"Awesome. Wasn't that movie great?"

"Yeah, best of the series by far. My favorite kill was when-" She then stopped suddenly and Duncan could almost feel her body tense up.

"Gwen?" he questioned. He then heard a deep, growling voice of a middle-aged man through the phone.

"You never learn, do you?"

Duncan could hear Gwen stuttering, "I…I…I just um…" He then heard a loud crashing noise he could only guess was Gwen being pushed to the floor, and the loud, high pitched scream of his Sunshine.

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Yep, cliffhanger. Again. Sorry, couldn't resist. =P

Please review! the more reviews i get, the more likely I am to _actually _remember to update!


	9. Chapter 9

A Different World

Chapter 9

...Hey there... *dodges rock*

Sorry about not updating in 7 months... My bad... But better late than never right? *dodges another rock*

Well, the point is that I updated. However, this chapter is kinda... harsh. But things have to get worse before they get better! *doesn't dodge in time and rock hits nose*

A huge thanks to everyone that reviewed. They make my day, they really do. Special thanks to Gothbabez, who motivated me to finally finish this chapter.

**Warning: This chapter includes violence and really shitty parenting skills. **

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"You spoiled little brat!"

He spewed the words with venom, and Gwen felt herself involuntarily flinch. She had always figured eventually, _eventually_, she would learn not to care. But the day never came.

Her father pinned her down to the floor, pressing down tightly on her elbows. Seeing the bloodthirsty look in her father's eyes, it hit her that this time was different. Something about the way his teeth clenched with anger, the way his breathing was quick and shallow, she knew. The panic seeped into her body, and she silently prayed to a God she wasn't even sure was listening anymore.

"I'm sorry!" she screamed, desperately trying to wiggle out of his rigid grip.

Suddenly, her father's hold on her loosened. He glared down at her menacingly. "Oh, really?"

"Yes!" She could feel her limbs trembling.

He cruelly smirked down at his daughter. "…for what?"

Her pupils widened and her eyebrows scrunched down in confusion. He knew he had her trapped.

"I… uh…"

"Exactly you little shit! You don't even fucking know!"

Abruptly, he grabbed a fistful of Gwen's hair and yanked her up and over to the old and battered answering machine. He pounded down on the "play" button.

"One old message," the machine beeped.

Her heart sunk. "_No. Please dear god no…_" she thought.

"First message."

She could hear some distant white noise until a voice she knew all too well came on.

"Uh… Hey Gwen. It's me, Trent. I was just thinking about what you said and… well… I'm really, really sorry. Truly. And not just about well…how rushed everything happened, especially the kiss- I don't even know what I was _thinking_- but… how I couldn't see that you needed some space. And honestly, I don't know much about you. Though I really would like to.

"I also want to apologize for how hastily I well, cornered you the earlier today. I just… I'm not good with girls and I kind of… panicked.

"Look, I'm not calling to ask for a second chance or… or for you to forgive me. I'd just like for you to maybe consider me a friend. The way you said 'It's more complicated than you know,' it just… I don't know. I feel like I must have really pressured you into something you didn't want to do. But… I know I'm not in a position to make judgments, I just feel like you're keeping something from me. And I want you to know that you can trust me. If you need someone to talk to, whether it's about school, or your friends, or your family, just call me up. Once again, sorry I took things so fast. I hope we can be friends."

Scared to death, bruised, and frightened beyond wit, Gwen couldn't help but feel comforted by Trent's words. However, she knew what was coming. She braced herself for it. As expected, her father shoved her against the wall with all his force.

"Gonna go talk to Trenty-poo about all the problems you have with your family? Huh? You little bitch!"

Gwen whimpered slightly as he whipped his hand across her face, leaving a red handprint on her cheek. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine herself away to a place where her arms didn't ache. To where she didn't feel the need run as far away as she could from her own parents. To where she wasn't constantly afraid.

She was thrust back into reality as her father pushed her towards another wall; this time she lost her footing and crumpled to the ground. Eyes still shut, she shivered. This was _her _life. Her wonderful fucked up life. She couldn't run. She couldn't hide. This was the life she was given.

"You think that you can go against your mother and me like that? One day, one fucking day, was all it took for you to betray us! Bet you wanted to turn us in, huh? Go to the police? I'll be damned if I get sent to jail by my own daughter!" He crossed the room in long, powerful strides and leaned over her frail, weak body. "Bitch."

She felt it; the sickening first blow. His fist had flown through the air connecting with her gut. She bit her lip to stop herself from voicing any sign of pain. She refused to give him the satisfaction of it.

He violently grabbed her shoulders and threw her head against the wall. His teeth were clenched angrily as he dragged her up to her feet again, but he soon lifted her up and threw her back to the ground with a sickening thud.

She let out a pained grunt as his foot connected with her stomach, feeling her ribs crack. She tried her best to curl up in a ball to shield herself from his harsh blows, but it did little to stop the older man's livid attack.

A horrific scream escaped her lips as he aimed a steady kick to her face, the skin throbbing from violent assault.

When he seemed to deem her bruised enough, he slammed her up against the wall forcefully. He leaned in close to her disheveled face, enough for her to smell the alcohol on his breath.

"You're going to pay," he whispered menacingly, and Gwen could only whimper as he seized her right arm and pulled down the sleeve. With a mad tint to his eyes, he slowly pulled the old pocket knife he kept in his back pocket. Gwen's eyes widened in fear as he flicked the knife out.

" You're going to pay for every last thing."

Furiously, he jabbed the knife into her arm, earning a mangled scream from the bruised and injured girl. With a calculated slowness, he dragged the knife along her skin, blood pouring out of the gash

Gwen struggled against the blade, eyes shut tightly as more screams erupted from her mouth. Her breathing became slow and erratic, lungs barely being able to rise in her chest through the pain.

The front door opened with a loud bang, and soft footsteps made their way towards them. Gwen hesitantly leaned her head towards the approaching figure, who gasped in slight horror at the sight before her.

Gwen lay broken and bruised against a wall, face battered and a large amount of blood pooling from her arm. She looked so… broken. Her eyes were closed in defeat, and her body sagged sadly.

"Brian?" Gwen's mother asked, eyes furrowed. "What happened?"

Seething, her father replied, "She never learns… She never fucking learns…" He chuckled madly, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Put down the knife, Brian," she said, talking slowly.

"No."

"Listen to me Brian, put down th-"

"_No_," he said, voice echoing. "No, not this time. You're always holding me back. This time… this time she learns."

Swiftly, he pressed the blade against Gwen's neck, eyes glowering. She could feel the cold metal begging to be dug into her skin.

"You'll… you'll kill her!" Her mother shouted at him, taking a step forward. She stopped however, when her husband's enraged eyes fell upon her.

"She's learned her lesson already," Gwen's mother said carefully. "She… I… This is _enough_, Brian. She's learned her lesson. Haven't you sweetie?" she asked Gwen, who could only whimper feebly in response.

"Like you wouldn't do the exact same thing if you were in my place!" he yelled, standing up and advancing towards his wife.

"I…Brian, she… She's our daughter. She might be a screw up, but she's our daughter. Don't… don't do this."

Brian's fingers tightened around the knife as he continued forward, eye's fuming.

"Brian?" she asked fearfully as he drew closer. "Brian? What are you…? What are you doing?" Her eyes darted back and forth in panic as he raised the knife.

"You're just like her… Weak… stupid… and _nothing_ but a disappointment," he said, eyes narrowing in disgust.

Gwen's mother wavered on her feet, biting her lip in fear. "Brian, listen to me. I-"

She was cut off as her husband lunged at her, knife flying through the air. She let out a deafening scream as it sliced her arm. He desperately tried to grab onto her hands, but she threw him off with a harsh slap to the face.

"You little bitch!" he exclaimed with a furious yell, chasing after her as she belted up the stairs.

Gwen moaned in the now empty room, vision blurry and body aching. She could hear a mighty fight going up upstairs, strident thumps signaling falling furniture.

"_I need… I need to get out of here_,"she thought through her pain. "_He'll… he'll _kill _me_."

Agonizingly, she pushed herself to her knees, but quickly collapsed. Her face twisted as the immense pain rippled through her body. She weakly pushed herself up on all fours, arms shaking beneath her.

With tormented groans, she crawled slowly towards the front door, body protesting her every movement. Her arm dripped brilliantly red blood, and Gwen swallowed the bile that was starting to build in her throat.

The exchange going on above quickly became louder as Gwen's mother yelled, "No! Please, Brian! Don't… don't-"

An ear piercing scream echoed through the house, making Gwen cringe in response.

Silence.

Gwen's heart sped up as she heard her father's footsteps banging noisily down the stairs. She hastily tried to crawl faster towards the door, but her limbs trembled profoundly, threatening to collapse.

"You!" he shouted as he spotted her struggling towards the door. She threw her arms in front of her, but it did little to protect her from the ruthless kick to her face. His hand grasped the front of her shirt and pulled her close, whispering, "This…ends…_now, _my _darling_ daughter."

The blood coated knife rested on her abdomen, and with a quick, vengeful jab, he plunged it viciously into her stomach. The unbearable pain exploded within her like a gunshot, spreading out from her chest into the very end of her fingertips.

…But she didn't care.

Because she was done. She. Was. Done.

She was done with being a silent rag doll thrown up against the wall.

She was done with backing away timidly from any fight.

She was done with being afraid.

Because even though this tortured and cruel life was _her_ life, it didn't mean she had to live it fearing what lay behind every corner. She was facing her demons, even if it was the last thing she ever did.

She glared at her father. No… she glared at the man who had long ago lost his right to be called a dad.

Taken aback by her change in character, he stood there, confused. Everything was silent; the only thing moving was the dust in the air. Finally, Gwen broke the silence.

"No…" she said, shaky at first, her voice slightly wavering from the rising pain in her chest. "No," she said again, this time more clearly. "I… am _not_ your daughter. I may look like you, I may talk like you, but you _cannot_ call me your daughter. I'm not yours to claim."

Her father still stared down at her. She continued.

"I'm not yours to control. And I'm _not_ afraid of you."

Anger flashed in his eyes as she finished her last sentence. He thrust the knife into her again, tearing away more skin; Gwen cringed, but no screams made their way out of her mouth.

"You will be afraid!" he screamed. "You _are_ under my control! How dare you think otherwise! You little…"

His insults faded in Gwen's head. His mouth was still moving and his eyes were still burning with anger, but it began to fade into a distant, fuzzy blur.

And Gwen didn't care anymore. Because she was free. Though trapped underneath him, pain coursing through her body, she felt alive. She was no longer her father's puppet. She could die happy now.

Gwen felt his hands close tightly around her neck, cutting off her air supply. He shook her violently, banging her head into the floor repeatedly.

Her mind swirled as she lost oxygen. Things, places, and people flew across her mind, and she finally focused on the first memory she had of Duncan. How drawn to him she had felt. "_Duncan…_" she sighed internally. Duncan, who had a shit-eating grin and a habit for giving people nicknames. Duncan, who managed to be incredibly annoying yet charming at the same time. Duncan, who was her first, real friend. And she knew she would never see him again. Of all the things that had happened that night, Gwen let out her first tear.

Her lungs could no longer take the agony and collapsed. Blackness.


	10. Chapter 10

Hey...

Well, not the longest I've ever gone without updating, right? Almost reasonable, if you look at my track record.

There's going to be probably about 2 or 3 more chapters left in this story. Which, in my case, translates into about 8 months. =D

I hope you enjoy the 10th installment of A Different World.

* * *

A Different World

Chapter 10

"Gwen?"

"Gwen?"

"_Gwen!"_

Duncan was met with nothing but the white noise on the other end of line.

"Fuck!" he yelled, throwing his phone back down on his bed. Heart racing, he sped down the stairs, barely being able to keep his feet under him once he reached the polished living room floor.

We sprinted towards the front door, hand on the knob, when he suddenly came to an abrupt stop.

"_I have absolutely no idea where she lives."_

He hesitated for a moment, biting his lip in worry. Surrendering his pride, he dashed to his father's study, banging loudly on the large oak door.

"Dad! Dad, open up! Dad!"

He heard a slow shuffle from inside the room, and the distinct click of the lock being undone. His father opened the door, staring down patronizingly at his son.

"What do you want?"

"Dad, I need your help," Duncan said breathlessly.

The older man scrunched down his eyebrows in confusion, and asked, "With what?"

"You have that one police thing, right? Where you can locate the location of a landline?"

"Yes…"

"I need to use it," Duncan pushed past his father quickly, and immediately ran up to his computer.

"Young man, what in the world do you think you're doing? Get off my computer this instant or I'll-"

"_Dad_."

His father paused, not missing the way his son's voice wavered in desperation. His eyes were wide and worrying, his hands shaking over the keyboard.

"Move over," he demanded, and Duncan, for once, obliged. He briskly walked over to his chair and sat down elegantly.

"What's the number?" he asked tersely, eyeing his son.

Duncan quickly recited the number, leaning next to the computer as his father punched it in. The man squinted his eyes as the computer analyzed the information, until finally saying, "There. 255 S. Kenburry Lane." He paused, glancing at his son again, who was already at the door. "Are you going to tell me what this is about?"

The slamming of the door was the only response he was given, until a few seconds later Duncan's indistinct voice yelled back, "Thanks Dad!"

The old, gray haired man allowed a small smile to grace his lips, before his face became etched with worry again, fretting over what awaited his son at the address. Slowly, his eyes drifted over to his badge, resting on his desk.

* * *

Duncan's hands shook spasmodically as he sped through the abandoned streets, making razor sharp turns around corners.

"_She's gonna be okay, she's gonna be okay," _he thought repeatedly, too afraid to think of the possibility that she might not be.

A million scenarios raced through his brain, but he refused to dwell on them for too long. _"She's gonna be okay…"_

His bike screeched to a stop as he saw the beaten down house on the side of the road. Quickly, he flew off his bike, and sprinted up to doorstep, complete with a shattered window and a broken doorknob.

He halted for a moment, wondering if he might just be overreacting…

The memory of Gwen's mangled scream through the phone resurfaced in his mind, and without a second's hesitation, he kicked down the door with a tremendous bang.

His breath caught in his throat as he saw the scene before him. Gwen lay broken, bruised, and bleeding on the shoddy floor, eyes closed and chest unmoving. A savage looking man stared at him in confusion, hands tightening on the knife he had been wiping off on his jeans.

Duncan gawked silently, unable to move from the doorway. _"No. No, no, no, no, no."_

His eyes darted from Gwen to the man, who was now standing up and slowly advancing towards him. He could almost feel his heart shatter to a million pieces, the image of Gwen lying prone on the floor forever implanted in his memory.

Suddenly, a wave of fury passed over him, overpowering every other emotion. All he could feel was the anger and hatred towards this hideous monster that destroyed his Sunshine. Seething, Duncan shouted venomously, "You sick bastard!" and furiously launched himself at the man, propelling the man backwards.

Surprised by the unexpected assault, the man fell to the ground. Duncan aimed a punch at the man, hearing the satisfying crack of fist on face.

The older man violently threw him off, sending him tumbling into the stained wall. Duncan temporarily felt the throbbing pain in his side, but quickly pushed himself up in time to duck away from the man's flying fist.

Duncan jabbed ferociously at the man's gut, causing him to double over in pain. However, he quickly righted himself, sending a fist directly into Duncan's face.

The teen reeled away in pain, clutching at his aching nose. Blood dripped onto the ground, and Duncan could see Gwen lying still out of the corner of his eye, a large red stain filling her shirt. Fueled with rage, he grunted angrily and threw himself at the man again, hurling a furious punch to the man's jaw.

The older man thrust his knee into the punk, his fist connecting with the side of Duncan's head, causing his ear to ring tremendously. While the boy tried to recuperate, the man threw his fist into his cheek, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Eyes livid, Duncan smashed his foot into the man's leg viciously, who in turn cursed profoundly and hurled his boot into the boy's stomach. Duncan recoiled slightly, and tried to heave himself up, but the man's foot connected with his jaw painfully, and he dropped to the floor again.

The man fell onto his knees and violently threw his hand around Duncan's throat, holding his head to the floor.

Duncan's eyes once again fell to Gwen, looking so absurdly peaceful as the sickeningly red blood ran down her pale ghostly arm.

"You _monster_," he spat vengefully, looking up into the man's cold, dead eyes. "You sick, cruel _monster_."

Duncan's blood went cold as he felt the man tighten his grip and lean down menacingly. Slowly, he whispered, "_She deserved it_."

Duncan's eyes flashed with fury and he let loose a yell as he plunged his fist into the man's gut. His knees jerked upwards, knocking the air out of the vindictive man. His fingers released Duncan's throat, and the teen quickly pushed him off.

He shoved the man to the floor, sending a fist flying into the man's face. The man grimaced and attempted to get up, but was thrown back as another punch connected with his jaw.

Duncan threw his fist into the man's face repeatedly, hearing the satisfying crunch of his nose breaking. Every punch was thrown with rage and pure fury, pounding the man's head into the floorboards aggressively.

Slowly, the man's body went lax, struggling limbs falling numbly to his side. Duncan continued to thrust his fist into the man, blood coating his knuckles.

He felt tears form in his eyes and fall down his cheeks, but he kept going. The man's entire face was a mess of blood and torn flesh, nose smashed and eyes hideously swollen.

He hit the man until every last drop of anger left him, cursing and seething and growling and crying.

Duncan's throws weakened as a sob escaped his lips, insides feeling bitter and empty without his Sunshine to warm it.

Finally, he stopped, arms dangling at his side motionlessly as he wept terribly. The dust floated in the air, dim light illuminating the murky shadows of the room. The scent of blood hung in the air, it oozing down the plaster walls and collecting in dark puddles on the floorboards.

Duncan closed his eyes, listening to his shaky breaths. He trembled as another wave of anguish washed over him, feeling the tears trickle down his cheeks.

Silently, he pushed himself away from the bleeding man and slowly starting crawling to where Gwen lay.

As more tears fell, he grabbed her limp hand, holding it fiercely in his. He gently reached out to caress her pale, bruised face, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

"God, Gwen… don't leave me…"

He quivered relentlessly as his eyes caught the terrible wounds in her stomach, bile building up his throat.

"Please… I love you."

And then, in response, Gwen's chest rose shakily as she took in a breath of air.


	11. Chapter 11

Hi.

To be perfectly honest, I never really expected to finish this story. I'm really glad I chose to though. I know I haven't been the most frequent of updaters, and I thank all of you who stuck with this. I really love all of you, and writing this story has been one of my favorite things to do in these past three years. You wouldn't believe how many times a review has brought a smile to my face on a rainy day.

You are all perfect, so without further ado, I give you the final installment of A Different World.

* * *

Gwen let out an unintelligible groan as the high pitched beeping suddenly starting filling the room. Even behind her closed eyelids, the world seemed unnecessarily bright, and she momentarily considered turning over and burying her face in her pillow.

Except… this wasn't her pillow.

A quick surge of alarm flew down her spine, eyebrows furrowing as she took in the uncomfortable scratchiness of the sheets and the strong sterile smell lingering in the room.

Slowly, she opened her eyes a fraction, nearly blinded by the harsh white light bearing down on her. She blinked a few times, and then opened her eyes all the way.

Her vision quickly began to clear, and the brightness of the florescent lights overhead seemed to dim. Blinking twice more, she took in the small cracks in the ceiling tile above her and the sunlight pouring in from the window. Turning her head to the right, she saw a few machines piled next to her bed, one with her heartbeat filing across the screen.

_Ah… Hospital._

Shuffling a bit in her bed, she managed to turn her head to the left, shocked by the young teen sleeping in one of the chairs. Her eyebrows shot into her hairline, voice hoarse as she whispered, "Duncan?"

His eyes squinted shut for a moment, before they both opened groggily, one hand coming up to rub at his face. As he put his hand back down, he seemed to freeze upon noticing Gwen's stare, and he croaked out, "Gwen?"

She could only smile in response as he bolted out of his chair and kneeled next to her bed. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, letting it linger there for a moment before bringing it back to the bedspread. Her looked up at her face and said with a tremor, "I thought I lost you."

Confusion crossed over her face for a second as she thought back on her memories, trying to understand Duncan's words.

And then it all came back.

She remembered the agony of having that knife slice through her like paper and her father leering over her with livid eyes. She remembered inching desperately towards the door on her hands and knees as her mother screamed upstairs. She remembered… dying.

Her breath hitched as the panic set in, limbs suddenly tense and palms sweaty. _Oh God, oh God, oh God, no._

"Whoa, calm down," Duncan exclaimed, reaching up to caress her cheek. "You're all right, Gwen. You're in the hospital. You're safe now."

Gwen's hand flew up and snatched at his arm tightly, leaving small crescent shaped fingernail indents on his forearm. Her eyes locked with his, and she felt her heartbeat slowly decrease, accompanied by the retreating of the frantic beeping from the monitor.

Gwen leaned into his touch, tears beginning to form.

"Hey, it's all right. You're all right now, Sunshine." Then the tears really did begin to fall down her cheeks as she smiled softly at her friend. Duncan leaned down and half-hugged her, careful of her injuries, and buried his face in her hair. His grip was strong and comforting, and Gwen clung to his back with a ferocity drowning men couldn't match.

She sniffed as he pulled back, and she wiped away her tears with the back of her arm. He stills holds onto her hand, his thumb lazily stroking over her knuckles as she stared at him.

"What," she paused, clearing her throat, "What happened?"

Looking down for a moment, he answerd, "I heard you scream over the phone. I didn't know what happened, so I drove over to your house as fast as I could. When I got there…" He swallowed, closing his eyes. "When I got there, I saw you unconscious on the floor and I kind of… lost it. I attacked your dad and-"

"What happened to him?" Gwen interrupted, fingers tightening around Duncan's.

"He's in jail. My dad's working out the trial already, and after that he'll end up behind bars for attempted murder."

The words rung in the air, settling into Gwen's heart and digging in its claws. _Murder._

"Tell me more," she demanded.

"Well, it wasn't too long after that that my dad arrived. He… I think he knew I needed him. The paramedics loaded you into the ambulance and you've been here since. There are more technical terms for it, but… you lost a lot of blood and had a bit of internal bleeding. The doctors were pretty worried about you for a while. But you pulled through." He smiled at her, true and unguarded.

Gwen nodded, staring down at the loose thread in her blanket. She mumbled in a low voice, "What about my mom?"

She looked at Duncan again, and saw him bite his lip. "I'm really sorry, Gwen. But she… she didn't make it."

The tears welled up again, but Gwen simply shut her eyes and shook her head, hair flowing behind her. She stayed silent for a few minutes, letting her grief wash over her.

When she looked up again, her eyes were red and tired, but she reached out and gently touched Duncan's face. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for saving me."

Duncan's hand reached up to touch the back of hers and said, "I could say the same to you."

Gwen pushed herself up, arms wrapping around Duncan's neck as he pulled her close to him. He breathed in the smell of raspberry shampoo and licorice, clutching at her tightly.

"Never leave me again," he demanded, voice strong with emotion.

Gwen pulled back, eyes shimmering with tears and promised, "Never."

They stayed like that for a while, exchanging smiles and tears, hearts soaring and Gwen could still feels the butterflies in her stomach that she had felt on the first day they met.

Later, Duncan bashfully asked, "I was thinking that, uh, maybe, you'd like to move in with my family?"

Gwen couldn't help how her smile widened as she asked, "Really?"

Duncan snorted as he joked, "Well, I _do_ live in a mansion."

Gwen let out a silent chuckle, before inquiring, "You sure your family's okay with that?"

Duncan looked out the window in the door of the room, spotting his father talking adamantly on the phone. He smiled fondly. "Yeah. My dad actually suggested it."

Gwen smiled again, eyes crinkling up as she said, "Awesome. I want a Jacuzzi."

Duncan laughed, eyes falling over Gwen's face again. His face softened as he said, "You have no idea how glad I am to see you smile again." He brushed a stray piece of hair off her forehead. "And I kind of think I love you."

Gwen almost started crying again, but instead just kissed him, lips meeting slowly as Gwen dug her hand into his mohawk. It was warm and soft and comforting and safe and above all, it was _Duncan, _and that was what made it perfect.

She pulled back and breathed out, "I love you too."

* * *

I hope this makes everyone happy. :)

Again, I'd like to thank all of you, as these past few years haven't been the easiest, and you all made it worthwhile.

Please review!


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